


Into The Woods

by mainweeb



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Don't know what I'm doing, F/F, Fantasy, I Don't Even Know, Magic, Multi, Other, Relationships and Characters will be added as they appear in the story, Testing the Waters, Urban Fantasy, spare me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-03
Updated: 2020-01-08
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:07:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21655756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mainweeb/pseuds/mainweeb
Summary: Becoming part of a guild is all Chaeyoung ever wanted. A place to belong. And when an opportunity arises to join one, she takes up the offer. Even if it may just kill her.
Relationships: Undisclosed Relationship(s)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 17





	1. Act One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chaeyoung enters the woods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi everyone... i know i'm not the best writer so please spare me from harsh criticism ;-; i'm also not 100% sure what I'm doing with this but it came to me at the spur of the moment. if the response is well received, I may continue this... but for now it's up in the air. anyways if you're confused about what chaeyoung's weapon is supposed to look like in full form, here is what it is: https://images.app.goo.gl/wvDqEyjHoW3GAMWY8 also BIG thank you to felipe and maxine for being my beta readers when nobody else would <3

Chaeyoung groans as she trudges out of magick 101. Learning about the elements and spells you couldn’t perform wasn’t something Chaeyoung found enjoyable, even if the higher-ups say it’s for her “benefit”. For a while now, she’s led herself to believe that nothing has benefited her and that her whole life has just caused her misfortune. But that’s a can of worms to open another time.

Sighing as she begins to make her way to the library, she gets stopped by three guys. “Hey there, Son.” One of them grins, looking down at her. “There’s a rumor going around that there’s a monster in the woods.”

“And so we thought as part of your initiation process you should go kill it.” Another one spoke, smugness rolling off of him like waves.

Chaeyoung gives them a deadpanned look. “I don’t have time for this.” She tries to push past them but the last one stands in her way. She gives him a hard glare but he doesn’t falter.

“I mean unless you don’t want to become part of a guild. I know how desperate you’ve been to be in one. It’s written all over your face even if you don’t think it is.” 

Chaeyoung steps back. She hates how right he is and she hates even more that she is desperate enough to go through with it. “Fine, I’ll do it.” The three men grin making her feel a little sick to her stomach.

“Great!” The biggest of the trio clasps his hands together. “It supposedly comes out during the night so you might wanna bring a light orb with you since y’know,” The other two snicker in known knowledge. “You can’t see in the dark.”

Chaeyoung doesn’t laugh. If anyone was watching, they would notice the light in her eyes dim. It might seem trivial to others, but not having the ability to see in the dark was one of the flaws she dwelled on the most. If you’re an elf, being able to see in the dark is of utmost importance. If you couldn’t do something as simple as that, you might as well not call yourself one at all. Not that Chaeyoung has ever truly felt like one. She rubs her arm in the hope of easing the discomfort swirling in her mind. The group is about to say something else before a voice in the distance stops them.

“Chaeyoung!”

She turns around to see Jeongyeon jogging towards her with Dahyun not far behind. Chaeyoung breathes a sigh of relief seeing her friends’ faces. The three look a little spooked seeing Jeongyeon and turn to leave before the “leader” puts a hand on Chaeyoung’s shoulder and whispers,  
“I’d like the beast’s head as proof of your accomplishment. And try not to get killed. It would leave a bad taste in my mouth.” He smirks, slinking away before Jeongyeon has a chance to catch up to them.

“What was that about?” Jeongyeon asks, slightly out of breath, while still watching the group before turning to Chaeyoung. She looks away under her older friend’s gaze and pouts.

“It was nothing.”

Jeongyeon knows she’s lying. “Were they making fun of you again?” At this point, Dahyun reaches the two and is just as concerned hoping that isn’t the case. Chaeyoung appreciates the concern, but she can look out for herself. Last time Jeongyeon caught them picking on her, she cast a spell to make them have rashes for a week! Jeongyeon got reprimanded pretty harshly with being confined to her room for a month, only being able to go to and fro from class and having to eat all meals in her room. Chaeyoung hated not being able to see Jeongyeon because of her problems and didn’t want that to ever happen again.

“No. They were just asking if I could help them study.” She looks both of them in the eyes and smiles. “Y’know, very trivial stuff since they’re dumb.” Jeongyeon and Dahyun look at each other trying to decide if they should believe her or not.

They pretend to, for Chaeyoung’s sake.

It’s Dahyun’s turn to speak. “If you’re not too busy later would you care to join us and the rest of the gang for some tea? It’ll help unwind before midterms.” Dahyun has a twinkle in her eyes as she looks at Chaeyoung expectantly. She feels bad knowing she has to turn down the offer.

“I really wish I could, but I gotta gather materials for projects, organize my study guides, and help those doofuses. Maybe another time?” She sheepishly smiles at the two who look a little crestfallen at her rejection. Chaeyoung could only hope that there will be a next time.

Dahyun musters up a smile. “Sure. Just remember not to overwork yourself and that we’re always here for you if you need to talk about anything.” Jeongyeon nods along, still not completely convinced Chaeyoung is okay but wants to show support for her decisions. She goes up to ruffle her hair, earning a giggle from the younger girl.

“Never, ever, forget that okay?” Jeongyeon reminds her and Chaeyoung nods, still relishing in the affection. “Good, now skedaddle twerp. Go do great things.” Chaeyoung smiles at them both before scurrying away. Jeongyeon sighs after she leaves and Dahyun can’t help but do so as well.

“She’s definitely hiding something but she seems set on her objective.”

“Should we follow just to keep her out of trouble?”

“Nah, I have a feeling that what she’s up to is something that will work out well for her. I think we should just have faith that she’ll be able to take care of this one on her own.”

And with that, Jeongyeon and Dahyun make their way to the lounge, hoping they didn’t make the others wait too long.

—————

One thing Chaeyoung didn’t lie about is needing to gather materials for this “project”. 

Chaeyoung scans her dorm room looking for things to aid her on this journey to her potential demise. She finds a light orb on her desk that was used the night before to help her read texts. Clapping her hands twice, it illuminated into a soft glow. Bright enough to make you capable of seeing in the dark but not enough to cause discomfort. Snapping her fingers to turn it off, she pockets the object into her satchel and moves onto her next objective. 

Stealth. 

She mustn’t get caught or else the school will either suspend her from classes or expel her, since she’s potentially going out to kill some monster unsupervised and she wasn’t given permission by an authority figure to do so. Lucky for Chaeyoung, she knows that her roommate, Tzuyu has an invisibility cloak in her closet as it was a gift given to top tier students. And since Tzuyu is probably with Jeongyeon and Dahyun right now, she opts to take it and hopes that she’ll be back before her roommate notices its absence. Tzuyu has always had a keen eye for the littlest things. 

Whispering a silent apology, Chaeyoung puts on the cloak, buttoning the only button near her neck, and drapes the hood over her head. The hood obscured her vision a bit, as Tzuyu was much taller than her-- something Chaeyoung envied-- and so the cloak looked as if it swallowed her whole. Thinking that she’d have to come up with a potion to make her taller, Chaeyoung moves onto her next task; securing vials of regenerative elixirs. They couldn’t heal mortal wounds like a missing limb, but they could heal scratches and cuts. Chaeyoung hopes she makes it out with only scratches and cuts. 

She opens up the mini-fridge and pulls out three vials of green liquid. They had tested these in class earlier when she was used as a guinea pig. Cutting your palm for a test run didn’t seem like fun and it certainly didn’t feel like it but when she drank one, watching as her skin stitched itself back together as if she hadn’t just been injured. So she’s sure they’ll work. Probably. Maybe?

Chaeyoung takes a deep breath to try and calm her nerves. It doesn’t help, as she is still jittery putting the elixirs in her satchel and turning around to face a tall cabinet door. Now, it isn’t just tall to Chaeyoung because of her short stature, but because it was made to hold her most prized possession.

Her beloved, Hache boréenne.

Or Borean ax.

She had an opportunity in weaponry class to design her own weapon and being able to merge and forge it with different things sounded very appealing, so she hopped on the chance immediately.

The weapon stands a few inches taller than Chaeyoung, and because it’s designed to be a heavy hitter, the weight of it makes her a little unbalanced. But this was taken into consideration and she took some weight training classes prior, even if she always has been naturally stronger than most, as it didn’t hurt to gain muscle the practical way. Thanks to those extra workouts, it feels lighter in her grasp. Now if someone else were to hold it, they’d probably fall over. She laughs at that thought and marvels at her pride and joy. The best part about her weapon wasn’t just its long-range capabilities or ability to cause severe damage but the fact that it can be separated. Chaeyoung twists the middle section of the staff, earning a little *pop* as she’s rewarded with an ax in one hand and a shortsword in the other. It was her very own dual weapon. She grins at her original idea that gained her lots of praise and slides them in the loops on her belt. Chaeyoung notices that it’s gotten darker and looks out of her dorm window to see the stars are out and that it’s her cue to leave for the forest.

It’s fairly easy for Chaeyoung to slip past security and school grounds thanks to the invisibility cloak, so she finds herself trekking through the forest in no time. She knows that the mysterious beast isn’t the only thing she should be wary about here, but she is fairly certain the orcs have gone south to avoid the upcoming winter, so at least she didn’t have to worry about coming across one.

Realizing she doesn't need to use the cloak anymore, she disables it and pulls out the light orb, quietly clapping twice to activate it. The path is illuminated even though Chaeyoung isn’t completely sure which way she should be going to find the beast, but her body compass tells her she might be going the right way as the sounds of wildlife become more sparse as if they were hiding from something. It makes Chaeyoung uneasy and her “turn back now” signals go berserk, but it’s a better lead than nothing so she continues.

She feels as though she’s been walking for hours and is becoming agitated by the numerous amounts of times she has tripped over roots. The short-haired brunette is about to call it quits and turn down her opportunity to become part of a guild until she hears a twig snap. Chaeyoung stops dead in her tracks and grips her ax handle. She slows down her breathing to concentrate on the sounds. Nothing peculiar to the right or left of her. Behind, maybe? She listens again but it’s nothing except wildlife. Chaeyoung chuckles at how ridiculous she’s being. It was probably a deer.

“If you’re out there mysterious beast, give me a sign.”

Chaeyoung immediately regrets her choice of words as she’s pounced on from the front. Her back hits the forest floor with a thud and she’s left dazed before she regains her bearings to fight the beast off until she locks eyes with a… girl?

She’s smiling at Chaeyoung.


	2. Act Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We finally discover who the mystery girl is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is slightly shorter than the first one and is overall a big infodump but! we'll still get interactions between some of yalls faves! also just a little heads up, the first ~ you see is the start of a flashback and the second one you'll see is the end of it and the italicized speech are the two of them talking in the past. FYI! I don't know JACK about d&d but I liked the different concepts it has so I decided to incorporate it into this story! again I would just like to give thanks to maxine and felipe for being the best beta readers <3 feel free to leave your thoughts and any suggestions in the comments below!! anyways, have a good one!

Nayeon is bored. She’s always bored. Living in a forest isn’t like the fairytales. She hates it here. She hates being alone. Well, almost alone. The forest animals may seem cute and cuddly but in reality, they’re mean and talk quite a bit of smack. The orcs were pretty cool to hang around even if they did like to terrorize people. It was kinda funny. Except when those poor students looked scared out of their wits. She felt bad. At times, she would cast a spell to help them run a bit faster to get away.

For some reason though, she never got an acknowledgment of thanks from those she saved. In fact, they feared her instead and referred to her as “the beast” or “monster”. She doesn’t quite understand why. Is it her appearance? Taking her human form makes her uncomfortable because she feels as if it gets rid of key aspects that make her, her. Although, if necessary, she will take on a faunus form that includes some of her animal traits like her ears and tail. It gives her peace of mind. But the most comfortable form is when she’s a full wolf. A dire wolf to be exact. Her mentor, the witch that raised her, would say that Nayeon is some sort of wolf god, being much larger than regular wolves, having the ability to comprehend speech, and harness unimaginable magic. Maybe that’s why people get intimidated by her presence.

It doesn’t bother her. Well, it does a little. Okay, a lot. She just wants a friend. Nayeon had two once. Maybe one and a half? Her mentor would remind her that they were not a friend but someone to guide her, so Nayeon supposed they didn’t really count. Nayeon appreciated all that the witch had done for her, like teaching her spells and how to transform into her human appearance to enter the capital. They were gone now. Died of a sudden illness. She didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye. 

Nayeon hummed glumly to herself.  _ There is always Sana, _ she thought. Sana had passed through this forest on her way to the capital and stumbled upon Nayeon while the wolf girl was in the middle of a hunt. To not frighten her, Nayeon switched to her more human form and was confused when Sana simply just giggled at her said it was okay and that she wasn’t scared of her. 

~

In Nayeon’s eyes, Sana was a human. That’s what she appeared as at first, but Nayeon was shocked when Sana revealed she was sort of like her. Not a mythical wolf, but a fox.  _ A kitsune _ if she recalls correctly. Nayeon was in sheer disbelief when Sana transformed. Instead of a human stood a white-furred magnificently-larger-than-most fox with two tails that looked as though they had been dipped in red paint at the ends and had red markings on her face. Later on, Nayeon was informed that Sana would get more tails the older she got. Nine in total apparently. Pure amazement was written all over Nayeon’s face when Sana shifted again into her faunus form sporting two fluffy white fox ears and swishing her tails in delight. The red markings all along her face previously were reduced to nothing more than what looked like red eyeshadow on her eyelids.

_ “Wow.” _

_ “I know right?” Sana was giddy at Nayeon’s response to her changes. _

They talked for a while. Exchanging stories and experiences of being shapeshifters. Sana told Nayeon that the reason she was heading to the capital was that she wanted to become part of a druid class. Nayeon didn’t know what a druid _or_ class was, so Sana took the liberty to explain the basic rundown to her.  _ “Classes are what defines someone’s skillsets. There are 12 main classes but 14 in total not including subclasses _ .  _ The other two classes are not very common so most texts and people don’t include them.”  _ Nayeon watched as Sana took a stick and started drawing in the dirt.  _ “The three classes that mainly focus on strength are barbarians, fighters, and paladins.”  _ She drew a person with a stern face wielding a large weapon.  _ “Next are the bards, sorcerers, and warlocks. They use their more charismatic nature to their advantage in fights.”  _ This time the drawing was of someone in a cloak holding a long… stick? Nayeon wasn’t quite sure.

She pointed at the drawing.  _ “Why are they holding a stick?”  _ Sana followed her finger and chuckled.

_ “That’s called a staff. It can be used to aid with walking or help with casting large spells.”  _ Nayeon oohed in wonder and Sana couldn’t help but smile.  _ “You’re pretty cute you know that?”  _ Nayeon blushed, stuttering to try and deflect the compliment. After Sana laughed at the adorable display, she continued with her explanation.  _ “Clerics and druids’ primary ability is wisdom. While monks, rangers, and rogues are more dexterity AND wisdom based.”  _ These drawings showcased the importance of a more hands-on approach.

_ "Lastly, we have the wizard. These are the very intelligent ones.”  _ The wizard she drew wore glasses and was surrounded by books.  _ “They hate being compared to warlocks and adamantly deny being anything like them.”  _ Sana looked proud of her artistic skills and explanation. Nayeon was still somewhat confused but understood the gist of everything.

_ “Do all of these classes use magic?” Nayeon didn’t know why she was asking. Magic is the basis of everything in this world. Everyone had at least some attribute and grasp of magic. Without it, she wouldn’t know how one could function. _

Sana thought to herself for a second. _“For the majority, yes. Although there are cases where some don’t utilize magic and rely more on their strength. Barbarians, fighters, paladins, and monks are the most known practice this.”_ Nayeon’s eyes widened.

_ “Really?” _

_ “Yep. They usually have the mentality of, ‘the gods bestowed upon me this vessel and I don’t want it tampered with unnatural sources’.” _

Nayeon’s brows furrowed.  _ “Unnatural sources? Isn’t magic a natural occurrence?”  _ Magic always came so easily to her; it was as easy as breathing. Sana gave her an empathetic look.

_ “I was just as surprised as you are when I learned that it isn’t. You understand that we are mythical creatures, right?”  _ Nayeon nodded her head. “ _ Being mythical creatures, we are regarded as higher beings that were born with magic running through our veins. This is why so many fear us, because those in this realm have to train, learn, and become attuned to magic while we don’t.”  _ Sana sighed.  _ “This is also the reason why we have to hide our true forms. We could be captured or killed because people want our powerful magic for themselves. We’d probably be auctioned off as slaves, our magic extracted with scientific technology, or killed off because we’re seen as dangerous.” _

Nayeon visibly paled. This was why her mentor taught her how to put on a more human appearance while going to the capital. If she disobeyed and went as her usual self, who knows what could’ve happened. She suddenly felt very sick to her stomach. Sana, sensing the other girl’s distress, enveloped her in a hug. Cooing into Nayeon’s ear and telling her that nothing will happen as long as she remembers to keep safe. Nayeon calmed after a while and let herself sink into Sana’s warm embrace. “Thank you, Sana.”

The fox girl smiled. “It’s the least I could do.” They stayed like that until Nayeon let go, telling Sana that she should get to the capital before it got dark. Sana pouted. “Fine, but I promise I’ll visit you.” 

~

That was months ago and Sana never returned. Nayeon figured it was due to becoming busy with whatever druids do, so she still had hope she’d come one day. Now Nayeon found herself watching someone fumble through the dark. Not doubting for a second that they are human. She casts a spell to hide her presence and follows as quietly as she can. As Nayeon gets closer, she realizes that it’s a young girl wandering through the forest. She decides to get in front of the girl to see her face better but accidentally steps on a twig, sending the girl on high alert. The young girl looks around and chuckles to herself. “If you’re out there, mysterious beast, give me a sign.” Nayeon grins. Challenge accepted.

The wolf girl takes it as an opportunity to tackle the girl. Nayeon’s tail thrashes side to side excitedly as she smiles down at her. “Hi! I’m Nayeon!”


	3. Act Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> yay!! fight scene!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey y'all ^^ sorry for the late update. finals happened and so did winter break :D anyways I apologize if there are many grammar and punctuation mistakes >< feel free to leave your thoughts and critiques in the comments! every little thing is much appreciated <3

Chaeyoung couldn’t believe what she was seeing or hearing. A girl by the name of Nayeon is currently straddling her. Chaeyoung stares at her in bewilderment. “Wh-who are you?!” 

Nayeon cocks her head. “Did I not just tell you?” She asks in genuine confusion making Chaeyoung groan. 

“I meant, what is a faunus doing out in the woods so late at night.” Chaeyoung grunts under the girl’s weight. “Can you get off me?” Nayeon obeys and gets up holding out her hand for Chaeyoung to take it. Chaeyoung picks up the light orb and takes Nayeon’s hand. Coming face to face with her once again. Nayeon gives Chaeyoung a smile before answering and Chaeyoung isn’t sure if she should return it or not. She doesn’t, but Nayeon doesn’t seem to mind.

“To answer your question, I live here and I was out hunting for dinner.”

“You what?”

“I think you may need to get your hearing checked.” Nayeon laughs.

Chaeyoung shakes her head. “My hearing is just fine.” She eyes the girl suspiciously, “Why are you living in the forest? Not to mention, there’s a monster in here.”

Nayeon realizes that the monster the young girl is talking about is probably her but she decides to play dumb. “A monster? I haven’t seen anything like that.” She says with a finger on her chin, looking at Chaeyoung quizzically. “Also, I was born and raised here.” 

Chaeyoung gives her a deadpanned look.

“I get that you’re a faunus, but I thought they typically didn’t live in forests.” She scratches the back of her head. “Y’know, to get rid of the stigma that they’re just like their animal counterparts.” Nayeon doesn’t know if she should reveal the fact that she’s not a faunus. Sana’s words echoed in her mind to keep safe and so she opts out on telling the girl. 

“Oh yeah, my family didn’t really pay much mind to what others thought about them, so we did our own thing.” Chaeyoung hums in understanding and Nayeon claps her hands together. “Anyways! Onto another concern, what are you doing out here?” 

“Looking for the monster.”

“Why are you looking for it?”

“To kill it.”

Nayeon’s eyes widen a bit but she keeps her composure.

“Why do you want to kill it?”

Chaeyoung bites her lip and avoids Nayeon’s intense gaze. “I have to kill it so I can join this guild at school.” Chaeyoung stops and looks at Nayeon who seems confused about unfamiliar words. “A guild is a place where you’re surrounded by people with mutual goals or motivation like yours. They’re very inclusive and treat members as if they’re family. Blood-related or not. However, it’s not an official one like those in the capital because those require you to go on rigorous missions. The ones at school are a lot less extreme because they don’t allow students to go out to risk their lives for mundane school tasks.”

Nayeon has a nagging question yearning to be asked. “Then why are you risking your life to join a guild when your school doesn’t even condone what you’re doing right now?” 

Chaeyoung is taken aback. She grits her teeth and rubs her arm, shaking her head. “This is different. I have to do this.” 

Nayeon senses the girl’s unease but presses on. She wants to know why becoming part of a guild is so important to her even if this method surely would’ve gotten the girl killed. “Do you though?”

Chaeyoung is becoming agitated. This strange faunus girl who lives in the woods is talking as if she knows what’s best for her. She hates that. She doesn’t need to explain herself to this stranger but she does. Chaeyoung’s voice comes out hard. “I’m doing this because I have no other choice.” 

Silence consumes the two as Nayeon considers her next choice of words.

“Everyone has a choice.” Nayeon’s voice is soft.

Chaeyoung’s shoulders sag. “I want to be with people who will accept who I am.” She feels tears threatening to fall and her voice slightly trembles, “Regardless of my differences.”

Nayeon isn’t sure how she should try and console this sniffling girl but remembers what Sana did for her. 

She hugs her.

Chaeyoung tenses at the sudden contact but eventually returns the gesture. “Thank you.” She smiles, “Never in a million years would I have thought to find myself in the forest hugging a stranger in the middle of the night.” 

Nayeon lets out the dorkiest laugh, her fangs glistening in the moonlight. She pulls away and gives Chaeyoung a soft look. “You have friends right?” Chaeyoung nods her head. “They love you right? Unconditionally?” She nods her head again. “I think you’ve already found your guild then. There’s no need to risk your life for some other guild that probably doesn’t have your best interests in mind when they sent you out here.” 

Deep down inside Chaeyoung already knew this but having it be told straight to her face felt like a wake-up call. “I probably seem dumb.”

Nayeon gives her a soft smile and nods her head in agreement. “Only a little, but I have to ask, do you even know what the monster looks like?”

Chaeyoung sheepishly rubs the back of her neck. “I don’t.”

Nayeon gives her an incredulous look.

“You don’t know and yet a human like yourself, that can’t see in the dark, is trying to look for it?” 

Chaeyoung winces at how dumb it sounds being said out loud. “In my defense,” She tries to think of something but fails. “Okay, you’re right. But! You actually got one thing wrong. I’m not human, well, not fully.” Nayeon quirks an eyebrow and Chaeyoung tucks two wisps of blonde hair behind her ears revealing one human ear and one elf ear. “I’m the result of hybridization.”

Nayeon tilts her head in a cute way puppies do when they’re curious about something. “What’s that?”

“It’s when two dissimilar species get together to produce an individual that has the best traits of those two species.” Chaeyoung’s hair falls to hide her ears again. “In my case, my mom was human and my dad was an elf. As you can see, the only traits I got are, not having the ability to see in the dark. Although, I am also stronger than the average human due to my elven genes.” She crosses her arms and furrows her brows as if deep in thought. “I don’t see why not possessing night vision is one of the human’s best traits.” She mutters to herself, “It’ll just get them killed easier.”

Nayeon agrees. “That does sound like it would put humans at a disadvantage. Do they have anything else to make up for it?”

“Nothing cool.” Chaeyoung lets out an annoyed huff, “It’s like something along the lines of determination and grit? I’m not sure. All I know is that humans have a strong will to not give up and that’s how they’ve made it so far in this world.”

Learning new things always makes Nayeon excited. Her fluffy tail swishes side to side and her eyes gleam in delight. “What about elves? What traits do they have?” She giddily rocks back and forth on the balls of her heels. 

Chaeyoung finds that a little cute but quickly diminishes those thoughts and clears her throat. “Besides possessing night vision and supernatural strength, elves are known to have the strongest bond with magic. They’re more likely to be able to conjure high-level spells and use them with ease.” The short girl sighs, “I wouldn’t know what that’s like though. I’m a dud when it comes to possessing magic. That’s part of the reason why I get made fun of sometimes.” She gives Nayeon a sad smile. “It’s okay since they’re right. What kind of elf can’t use magic?” 

Nayeon feels her chest tighten as she listens. This poor girl has probably experienced a lot of ridicule. No wonder she feels such an intense need to be accepted. “Maybe you’re just a late bloomer?” Nayeon likes to be optimistic in times of uncertainty and she hopes her optimism will transfer to the short hair brunette that for some reason has two blonde wisps of hair.

Chaeyoung is beginning to grow tired of always being doubtful of never obtaining magical abilities, so she chooses to take some of Nayeon’s optimism. 

“Maybe.”

The two talk for a while more before Chaeyoung gasps. “Oh my gods, I need to get back to school before the curfew monitors figure out I’m not asleep in my dorm.” She suddenly blanches. “Or worse, my roommate gets worried and sends out a search party.” 

Nayeon doesn’t know what that means, but the look of fear on the girl’s face makes her not want to find out. “You probably don’t know your way out of here so let me cast a navigation spell.” She takes the light orb out of Chaeyoung’s hands and speaks words to it that Chaeyoung is unfamiliar with, then it levitates and draws closer to Chaeyoung. “That should help you.”

Nayeon smiles and Chaeyoung returns it this time.

“Thank you for this.” Chaeyoung says and Nayeon waves her off saying it’s the least she can do. Chaeyoung reaches for the button to reactivate her cloak before Nayeon abruptly grabs her hand. 

It feels like a jolt of electricity when their hands touch and they look at each other with wide eyes, unsure of what exactly just happened.

Nayeon is the first to break out of her daze. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what that was. I just wanted to know what your name is.” Nayeon feels silly for not asking sooner but she never got the chance.

Chaeyoung finally snaps back to reality. “Oh, my name is Chaeyoung.” She holds out her hand but quickly takes it back remembering what just happened a few moments prior and shyly smiles.

Nayeon wants to ask a question. There are many negative what-ifs swirling in her mind but she lets out a deep breath and goes for it.

“Will I get to see you again?”

Chaeyoung studies Nayeon for a moment unsure of how to answer. The faunus girl seems timid and afraid of the response she’ll get. Chaeyoung couldn’t blame her. She doesn’t know if she’ll be able to sneak away again but being with Nayeon feels nice. She wants to come back. She will.

“Of course.”

Nayeon is relieved.

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

With happy smiles, they bid each other farewell and go their separate ways.

\---

Chaeyoung thought she made it back scot-free. She wasn’t caught by curfew monitors and when she snuck back into her room, things were quiet so she figured Tzuyu was asleep.

She wasn’t.

“Where were you?” 

Chaeyoung jumps and turns to see a tall figure hidden in the darkness, only being revealed when she steps into the moonlight. It illuminates her features and Chaeyoung can’t help but be mesmerized by how pretty Tzuyu is. 

Chaeyoung chides herself,  _ as if she isn’t always pretty.  _ She clears her throat and smiles. “I lost track of time at the library studying.” 

Tzuyu narrows her eyes at Chaeyoung wholly unconvinced. “With your weapon, satchel, and MY invisibility cloak?” Her roommate looks to the ground and bites her lip not saying anything. Tzuyu sighs, “I’m not mad Chaeyoung, I was worried. So I’ll ask you again, where were you?”

Chaeyoung knows she can’t lie so she tells the truth. “Please promise me you won’t tell anyone.” She gives Tzuyu a pleading look and Tzuyu nods her head in silent agreement. “Earlier today I got stopped by the trio of assholes and they told me if I wanted to join a guild, I needed to go into the woods and kill the monster that’s in it.” Tzuyu was about to interrupt but Chaeyoung stops her. “Turns out, there isn’t a monster in there because a faunus girl who lives in the woods told me so.”

Tzuyu gives her a strange look. “A faunus girl lives in those woods? I thought faunus normally didn’t do that.”

“That’s what I thought too, but apparently her family didn’t care so they just stayed.”

This was all a bit confusing to Tzuyu. “Does the school know about this?” 

Chaeyoung closes her eyes in thought. “I don’t think so. When I mentioned school, she didn’t give any sort of reaction to the word and she seemed pretty out of the loop about things like what a guild is.” 

Tzuyu crosses her arms and slightly raises her eyebrows. “So, why can’t we tell the school? I doubt they’d harm her and just have her enrolled here. Plus, we use those woods as one of our training grounds. She’ll probably get found eventually.” Chaeyoung considers Tzuyu’s words. Her roommate does make a convincing argument. Actually, she always makes convincing arguments and Chaeyoung is easily swayed.

The shorter girl sighs. “You’re probably right, but I promised I’d go back to see her. And I think a sudden swarm of magical beings trying to coax her into enrolling may be overwhelming. So, when I go back, I’ll tell her and find out if she’s okay with the whole idea.”

Tzuyu tells Chaeyoung she’s onboard with the plan and goes back to bed. Chaeyoung puts away her gear, weapon, and neatly returns the cloak to Tzuyu’s closet. She quickly finishes getting ready for bed and hops in. Chaeyoung looks up at the blank ceiling for a while, recounting everything that transpired and smiles. She has to figure out when she’ll be able to see Nayeon again and set things in motion.

\---

The next day was like any other. Except for this time, Chaeyoung found herself in combat class. Attentively listening to the instructor’s words.

“Today we’ll be learning about aura.”

They’ve touched on the topic lightly before but never delved into it. Chaeyoung can’t contain her excitement and her leg bounces up and down in anticipation. “Everyone is born with an aura. It’s not magically linked so anyone can access it.” The students in the class ooh. “Aura is somewhat like an invisible shield. It coats your entire body in a protective layer. This is also why it takes longer for us to die from hyperthermia and develop sunburns.” Everyone ahhs. “Yes, now I need two volunteers to showcase the use of aura.” The first hand to go up is Jeongyeon’s. When everyone saw that she’d be one of the challengers, all hands started to drop like flies, except one. Chaeyoung has always wanted to fight against the person she considered to be her role model. She admires her. 

“It seems our other challenger is Chaeyoung. Now, ladies if you’d please go retrieve your weapons.”

On her way to grab hers, Chaeyoung caught wind of hushed whispers.

“She’s really going against a barb?”

“I doubt she stands a chance.”

“I mean look at her. She’ll get crushed!”

Honestly, Chaeyoung couldn’t agree more. Jeongyeon is part of the novice barbarian class. Barbarians are known to be fierce warriors that can enter an overwhelming battle rage. To say she wasn’t a little intimidated by this fact would be an understatement. But, Chaeyoung isn’t going down without a fight. She is from the novice fighter class after all.

The girls stand facing each other in the classroom arena. Chaeyoung takes note of Jeongyeon’s weapon in each hand.  _ Two flails huh?  _ As Jeongyeon lifts the spiked metal balls off the ground with ease, Chaeyoung notices they left dents in the floor. _ If I get hit with those repeatedly, I’ll be in serious trouble. I need to keep my guard up.  _ She switches from her long-range form battle-ax to her close range form. The short sword and smaller battle-ax are much more suitable for close-range advances.

__ Off on the sidelines, the instructor gives one more piece of advice before the fight commences. “Remember that if you take excessive amounts of hits, your aura will break and you’ll be more likely to sustain serious injuries so be careful. The challenger who is dubbed to be incapacitated loses.”

“Fight!”

Jeongyeon flashes Chaeyoung a wicked grin and Chaeyoung smirks. The two girls disappear in the blink of an eye with dust kicked up in their wake. Okay, they didn’t actually disappear, but if you had a trained eye, you would know they were just too fast to keep up with.

Jeongyeon makes the first move. Swinging one flail downward while the other sweeps the ground, Chaeyoung has to jump to avoid getting knocked over while blocking the attack straight to her head. The strike from the heavy metal ball makes the ground split underneath her and Chaeyoung grunts from the impact. She quickly jumps back to create distance between them and weighs her options.

Chaeyoung knows she’s faster than Jeongyeon and can probably get in close to usher a flurry of hits to stun her friend, but Jeongyeon is so good at being on the offensive and defensive, it’ll be difficult to find an opening. Her chances of pulling it off are slim to none, but Chaeyoung never backs down from a challenge. 

She advances.

Jeongyeon’s been waiting for her to make a move, so when Chaeyoung does, she’s surprised to see the short girl charge at her. Jeongyeon raises both flails to slam on the ground to create a tremor that’ll throw Chaeyoung off balance, but before she’s able to, said girl is right in front of her face. She doesn’t have enough time to react as Chaeyoung thrusts her shortsword into Jeongyeon’s abdomen followed by quick jabs and swings her ax down hard into the taller girl’s shoulder, the wallop making her kneel on one knee.

Chaeyoung feels as if she’s won, but when the instructor didn’t end the fight, a gut feeling of doom and despair sprouts inside her as Jeongyeon begins to let out a deep sinister laugh. “That was good Chae,” She stands up cracking her neck side to side and rolls her shoulders back. “But not good enough.” 

Chaeyoung takes a step back when she looks into Jeongyeon’s eyes. They’re the color of deep, ruby-red wine and Chaeyoung knows she’s just made a big mistake. Jeongyeon extends her arms and crosses them, her flails begin to faintly glow a green color as magic seeps into them. 

“Indomitable might.” Jeongyeon says barely above a whisper.

Chaeyoung realizes Jeongyeon just cast an enchantment to enhance the power of her weapons. Chaeyoung also realizes she’s done for. She can’t move and she knows it’s because of the effects of Jeongyeon’s battle rage. The overbearing feeling of helplessness is too intense.

Jeongyeon puts both flails in one hand and gives Chaeyoung a wild smile before swinging the weapons into the younger girl’s side. The powerful impact sends Chaeyoung flying into a wall with a deafening crack. 

The last thing she hears before passing out is Jeongyeon being crowned victor.


End file.
